I put up a couple of photos of the front uprights on OldSkoolFords and it looks like they are Escort/Carpi ones (many thanks to Wilko), which is good as this opens up a few more brake choices. So, current plans for the brakes are -

Front - Wilwood 247mm x 20mm discs (Capri 2.8i origin I think) with 4 pot Forged Dynalite calipers
Rear - Mk3/4 Ford Fiesta solid discs and Ford Granada single pot calipers
Pedal Box - brake bias but will have to decide on mechanical or hydraulic clutch, would like to keep the mechanical but it depends whether the Type 9 will fit in the tunnel with this set up (standard)

Kits are available for these and this is a fairly well known fitting so should be easy to source/fit. This will be finalised once the body and suspension/axles are prepped and complete.

These will all fit under 13" rims, next job is to confirm they fit under a 5.5" wide rim and what ET I need to fit under the standard arches.

Today was the day for sorting the shed and garage out so that I know what I have and what I have not.

The first job was to roll the car out onto the drive, jack it up, have a look underneath and in the light of day give it the once over. So, the conclusions are - still impressed with the body, found one slight bubble on the bottom corner of one of the doors which will need sorting, that's it ! Once jacked up, the shocks were wound up a bit so that I can get the jack underneath. I also found that I think I need new track rod ends, no big deal but another thing to add to the list.

Once the Garage and Shed were almost tidy it was time to decant and catalog the five boxes of bits that came with the car. I shalln't bore you with a list of every nut and bolt but here are the omissions - no biggies but will all need sourcing in slow time I suspect -

Wiper motor, gearbox rear mount, door/boot locks, front window and a couple of badges.

So pretty good all in all.

Next job is to identify what the front uprights are so I can spec the brakes properly.  That will be more ebay scouring then.

The three main components missing from the car are the engine, the wheels and the front brakes. Now, unsurprisingly these three are linked in an unholy alliance, so if you choose a solution for one then there are significant consequences on the other two. But, in this car's case there is a fourth variable (well really a constant) that has come into play and that is the body work.

The original plan, before viewing the car, was to use the Mazda 2.5l 24v V6 from the MX6 that SHMBO call the "silver front garden ornament" as it has not moved for two years. This could be joined with an MX5 gearbox and off you go. However, once I had seen that the car body was original, had not been changed and had no rust to deal with, plans changed. In order to tame the 200HP+ of the v6, the Anglia would need some large stoppers and wide tyres which would mean chopping the arches, not something I now want to do.

The solution was to change direction and build the car in the spirit of a "Lotus Twink inspired restomod", stock looking shell with race underpinnings and a small revvy 1.6l ish engine. So current plans are to use the 1.6l or preferably the 1.7l Ford Puma Zetec SE (Sigma) engine mated to  the Type 9 gearbox that I got with the car. I now have a long shopping list to get the Puma engine up and running and connected to the Type 9 gearbox.

The other consequence of retaining the stock arches is that this limits the width and diameter of the front wheels, current research seems to suggest this is a 5.5"x13" wheel (ET to be confirmed by possibly +19) with something around the 175/50/13 tyres. This will limit the choice of wheels but minilites in gunmetal will possibly go well with the white/blue paintwork but is a safe choice, I'll keep looking and get out and do some measuring.

The final piece of the jigsaw is that by limiting the wheel size this limits the brake size. Ideally I would like to go for discs all round and a brake bias pedal box. Looking around there are Wilwood 4 pots that will fit in a 13" wheel and a Granada caliper based rear disk mod, this may be a bit overkill but will provide the best braking I can get with the compromises made.

Back to the web for another search for potential parts/options/solutions. 

The delivery date came a bit sooner than expected, which is a good thing. Two days after agreeing a deal the previous owner arrived with the Anglia on a trailer, pulled by a van full of boxes of parts.

Nothing much really to say other than it fits in the garage very well. It is so small particularly when you think it was a family car when originally sold and is currently very low as the coilovers seem to be wound down to the bottom.

Following the delivery, I did a quick inspection and started to build a job list. Top of the tree is to drop the front and rear suspension as they need to be checked over and given a lick of paint. Next on the list is to give the underside a wire brush and a coat of paint/underseal . The underside is pretty good but the old protection paint is peeling off and there is the odd spot of surface rust but once sorted the shell will be as good as when it came out of the factory. Happy days. The car then becomes a big Mechano kit which I am sure will test my patience at times, get the grey matter going and will undoubtedly drain the coffers fairly quickly as the new shiny bits start to arrive.

I was not originally looking for a classic but was getting the mid-life urges for another project and so the story begins .......

For context my first car was a Mk1 Ford Escort with fibreglass bubble arches and the obligatory furry dice (well seat covers) and over the years I have undertaken some automotive tinkered until in 2000 I embarked on the build of a Fisher Fury kit car which was registered in 2005 and left my life in 2010, a sad day. The Fury shaped gap was partially filled by a Mazda MX6 scrapper which turned into a science project to see if I could get the lovely 24v v6 running on distributor and motorcycle carbs, this project is now on ice.

So, whilst idly browsing the classified I spotted what looked like a promising project in the shape of 1968 Ford Anglia that seemed to have everything I desired in a project.

After exchanging emails a viewing was arranged.  I arrived and it was clear, even from 50 paces, that this car was an absolute gem. Lots of care and attention to detail had been lavished on it, all the right things had been carried out to a high standard and she was ripe for someone to come along and complete the tremendous work that the previous owner had carried out.

The lowdown on the car is -

1968 Saloon Super Shell which I could not find any any signs of being welded, the owner confirmed that it was all original steel panels with no filler, this has been bare metal resprayed with Zinc and 2 coats of primer and then top coat in the original colours (Ermine White and Anchor Blue).

The modification and additional parts are sympathetic and will add to the driving experience. These included 5 link rear with standard axle and 8" drums, front bulkhead recessed, large gearbox tunnel, Escort World Cup cross-member, Escort quick rack, adjustable TCAs, Adjustable top mounts and Gaz coilovers all round. The car came with a load of bits including a radiator, two gearboxes, all glass, rubbers and interior.

So, I guess it was love at first sight, negotiations commenced and the deal was done. I now owned a 1968 Ford Anglia 105e Super rolling chassis and several boxes of bits. An ideal project for me and my Son to share.